Chapter 118: Kids, I'm Off to Settle a Debt
As everyone knows, for every effect, there must first be a cause.
But the Path of Remembrance can ignore this fundamental logic. In fact, it utterly defies it. The incredible, and frankly baffling, nature of Remembrance is that one can have the effect first and the cause later.
By wielding the power of Memory, you can seize a result from the stream of time and then trace your way back along the causal chain. So long as you can remain self-consistent and successfully complete the 'cause' required to reach that 'effect', the natural order of things simply doesn't matter.
"I did how many things that require me to go back and pay the tab now?"
The single pink ahoge on Rekka's forehead perked up in sheer indignation.
Early that morning, Rekka had been rudely awakened by the Path of Remembrance demanding he settle a debt. He was being hounded by causality itself, a truly depressing state of affairs.
also, the feeling came with a stern warning: he had to go back and pay up. Unless he wanted to be a complete deadbeat, failing to do so would cause the causal chain to fracture. Problems he had already solved would simply reappear, nastier than before.
This particular ability of Remembrance was, in essence, a loan. And loans, as everyone knows, must be repaid.
"I have to patch up the causality for Jing Yuan from way back when?" Rekka scratched his head, genuinely confused about what sort of causal patch he could possibly owe Jing Yuan and the others. "And I have to do it by pretending to be a fortune teller?"
It seemed the destination was the era of the High-Cloud Quintet.
'Gugu gaga?'he thought with a mental groan.'What kind of fortune-telling am I even supposed to do...'
Sighing, Rekka climbed out of bed and began rummaging through his trunks for a suitable outfit.
"This one... can I pass as an expert?" He held up a flashy jacket, then immediately tossed it aside. It didn't feel 'expert'enough. It felt more like'delinquent'.
"Dan Heng—!" Rekka bellowed at the top of his lungs.
Before long, the door to his room slid open. Dan Heng stood at the entrance, holding a cup of tea, his expression perfectly balanced between "What is it now?" and "I am already so very used to this."
When in doubt, shout Dan Heng's name. It was a proven method.
"What are you calling me for?"
"I need to disguise myself as a mystic," Rekka announced. "Got any suggestions?"
Dan Heng's hand, the one holding the teacup, paused mid-air. "A mystic?"
"Yeah, you know, the kind who sets up a stall on the street and can predict fortune or misfortune with a single flick of their fingers."
"...That's a charlatan," Dan Heng stated flatly.
"So, do you have any clothes that look sage-like?"
"And where, exactly, would I find sage-like clothes for you?"
Despite his words, Dan Heng turned and disappeared, only to return a moment later after rummaging through the Astral Express's Data Bank archives.
"Try this one," he said, tossing a bundle of fabric to Rekka. "It's not a Taoist robe, but at least it doesn't look like a street thug's outfit. If you pair it with a fan or some other small props and really commit to the act, it should work."
Rekka caught the clothes. He held the long, dark robe up against himself, and his eyes lit up.
He immediately shifted his entire demeanor. His eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, and he adopted a look of deep, world-weary sorrow. "I see a darkness between your brows," he intoned gravely. "Your complexion is poor. You shall surely face a bloody calamity in the coming days."
Dan Heng's face remained impassive. "You look exactly like a charlatan."
"Perfect. I'm going there to fool people anyway."
A subtle shift flickered across Dan Heng's features. "Whose fortune are you going to tell?"
"Jing Yuan and the others," Rekka said, adjusting the robe's collar in the mirror. "I'll probably go back to when Dan Feng was still alive and give each of them a reading."
"Say that again." The question was quiet, but it cut through the air.
"The High-Cloud Quintet, you know..."
"I know who they are," Dan Heng interrupted, his voice low. "I mean, you're going back to that time?"
"Yep. It's an ability of the Path of Memory." Rekka confirmed the outfit was acceptable. "I have to complete the 'cause'of'fortune-telling' at that point in time for subsequent events to develop smoothly in the present."
"When, exactly?"
"Probably a very, very long time ago? I'm not entirely sure of the date, but it's back when all five of them were still... doing well." Rekka tugged at his collar, catching Dan Heng's gaze in the mirror. "...Don't look at me like I'm some heartless scoundrel. It's weird."
Dan Heng's gaze was heavy. "Just... don't let your mouth run wild and say things you shouldn't. They... didn't have as good a temper as I do now."
"Time is tight and the task is heavy; the creditor is chasing me from behind," Rekka declared dramatically. "I'll head out first. You just wait for my good news on the Express!"
On his way out, Rekka ran into the twins.
"Are you two free?"
Liliya and Rozaliya, the self-proclaimed "Erguotou Girls," readily agreed without even asking what for.
"Let's go, let's go! Time to tell some fortunes!"
The streets of the Xianzhou Luofu of the past were a vibrant, bustling mix of life. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and the idle chatter of passersby mingled in the air. Rekka, tugging at the long robe Dan Heng had found for him, leaned against a sheltered corner of a wall with the girls.
"Why do I feel like we're begging for change under an overpass right now?" Liliya muttered, poking at a loose stone with her foot.
"We are following the mandate of heaven, helping people resolve their troubles," Rekka corrected her, tapping his palm with a newly acquired fan. "This is called experiencing life. We don't actually live under an overpass."
"Then can we go follow Anti-Entropy instead?" Rozaliya whined.
Boredom quickly set in. Rekka and the sisters were soon so idle they started a game of Fight the Lord on the dusty ground.
"Rozaliya, why did you bomb me? We're on the same team!" Rekka cried out in betrayal.
"Eh? Re-really?" she said, looking at her cards innocently. "I just thought it would be a waste not to play the bombs in my hand."
"Airplane," Liliya announced, calmly laying down the last of her cards and winning the round.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Rekka spotted a flash of white. His targets.
"Hey! You folks over there!" he yelled, his voice carrying easily over the street noise. "Wait a second! Yes, yes, I'm talking to you! Right, right, come here, come over here."
Yingxing paused mid-stride and frowned, looking back. The people beside him also stopped, following his gaze. There, at the base of a wall, a strange young man in a long, dark robe sat on the ground, still holding a few playing cards. Squatting beside him were two young girls, one with pink hair and one with blue, looking equally out of place.
"Is he calling us?" Baiheng asked, her fox-like ears twitching with curiosity.
"Looks like it." Jing Yuan narrowed his eyes, sizing the young man up and down. 'That outfit...'he thought.'Maybe I should report this to the Divination Commission.'
"No rush," Yingxing grunted. "Let's see how much he charges first."
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself.
As they approached, Rekka put on his most deep expression. "Everyone," he began, his voice dripping with faux gravity, "I see a faint, restless baleful aura swirling between your brows. Your foreheads are dark. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Yingxing cut straight to the point. "How much do you charge?"
"Charge? Why would I charge?" Rekka waved a dismissive hand. "No charge, no charge." He crossed his legs, looking every bit the eccentric master.
"No charge?" Baiheng blinked. "Then what do you want?"
"Nothing at all. I'll just give you a reading." He was being completely sincere. He was just genuinely impressed that the causality of the damn Path of Memory could trace back this far.
Jing Yuan's suspicion returned. "Divining on the Luofu requires a license."
"Oh, then just consider me doing it for fun," Rekka said breezily. "I'm not a real fortune teller; I'm just a ferryman."
"...Let him give a reading."
The voice was cool and measured. Dan Feng had spoken.
Rekka raised an eyebrow. 'As expected of Dan Heng's past life,'he thought.'Quite the assist.'
"Then shall we start with you?"
Dan Feng didn't answer, merely looking at him with a calm, unreadable gaze.
Rekka didn't mind the silence. He stood up and began to walk a slow circle around the Vidyadhara High Elder, nodding and shaking his head occasionally while muttering nonsense under his breath. Rozaliya and Liliya, getting into the spirit of it, got up and followed him in a smaller circle, mimicking his movements. After the three of them completed the last lap, they stood still, facing Dan Feng once more.
"You, as a person..." Rekka drawled, dragging out the suspense. "Sigh. You look like an unstable one. Your weapon is definitely connected to your brain, and you let your spells do your thinking for you. You look calm on the surface, but deep down, you're just a pure martial general."
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